Group PoV switch again. I'm sorry! :( Things will be coming to a merger fairly soon though, I promise!
Joey's Brooklyn accent really picks up in this chapter. Especially when he gets overly worked up. It gave me a headache since I had to force myself to ignore the 'typos'.
Imhotep stopped inside the entryway of the arcade, his eyes glittering with excitement. "I think this may be what Aaru looks like!"
Yugi and the others couldn't help but chuckle watching as the twin bounced in place excitedly.
"So which one do you want to play first?" Yugi asked.
"So many to choose from…" Imhotep replied in a wide-eyed zombie-like state. He was completely overwhelmed. It wasn't like picking up a case and placing the cartridge or disc in a console. He knew his gaming collection was huge, but seeing an entire building filled wall-to-wall with various machines dedicated to one specific game or another was on a whole different level.
Yugi waved his hand in front of his sibling's face. "Uh….earth to Imhotep?"
"Y-you pick. I don't even know where to begin!"
"Okay….what kind of games do you like to play at home? Besides online games?"
"Ummm...all?" Imhotep chuckled nervously.
Yugi thought for a moment. "I think I know just the game to start with. It's a classic that I'm sure even you're familiar with."
He led Imhotep to the section of the arcade with the fighting games, stopping before a Mortal Kombat console. Seeing Imhotep's expression told him his instinct was right on the money.
"I know this one! I've played them all!" Imhotep stated excitedly. "So, who's your favorite character?!"
Yugi chuckled. "I like a lot of them, but I would have to say my favorite is tied between Liu Kang and Raiden."
"Pfft! Lame! Everyone knows Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Noob-Saibot are the best!" Imhotep replied, dismissing Yugi's character choices.
Yugi smirked. "Why don't we test which is better? You seem to think you can beat me after all. Why don't you prove it?" he taunted.
"Oh, I know I can beat you. I've played this game so many times I can practically beat you in my sleep," Imhotep taunted back with a smirk of his own.
"Whoa, things just went from zero ta crazy-town real fast!" Joey commented, watching the two spiky-haired siblings tauntingly stare at each other. "Seeing two Yugi's make da same face at each other is just plain weird," he added.
Téa, Tristan, and Joey gathered around to watch the identical pair as they placed themselves at one of the Mortal Kombat consoles.
"How about we make things interesting and use the random character selector, that way we have to use whatever the computer pics for us?" Imhotep suggested.
Yugi nodded in agreement. Both hit the random selection option. Yugi smirked again. "I got Ermac."
"Oh yeah, well I got Reptile. This is gonna be interesting," Imhotep said while grinning.
Both were focused as the match started. Yugi managed to land the first few hits, but Imhotep managed to dodge one of the spectral green attacks from his opponent, giving him the opening he needed. He returned with several kicks and punches, the occasional poison attack thrown in the mix whenever he could. Yugi used his teleport ability to get out of the corner he had been backed into, kicking and punching from behind. Imhotep snuck in a few blocks, waiting for his next opening. He found it, throwing in more punches and kicks until his opponent fell.
Yugi scowled slightly, making a small sound of irritation. "That was just the first round…"
The second round went pretty much the same way, with the two kicking and punching whenever they found an opening, blocking and dodging to avoid getting hit. Yugi ended up winning the second match. The third match started and progressed the same way...up until the end. Both were so focused on their opponent that neither were watching the life meters up top as they both zeroed out simultaneously...then refilled partway….zeroed out simultaneously again...refilled again….then zeroed out and refilled a third time. Yugi zeroed out alone in the end, with Imhotep still having the smallest sliver of health remaining while a deep voice called out 'FINISH HIM!" Imhotep quickly pressed several buttons in sequence, pulling off Reptile's finisher move.
"Yes!" Imhotep cheered, throwing his hands up in victory.
"Wow, dat was a pretty intense match!" Joey stated in astonishment. "I've never seen anyone go head-ta-head like dat!"
"Me either! You kept getting a double K-O!" Tristan added.
"I have to admit, that was actually pretty fun! I haven't had a challenge like that in a while," Yugi said enthusiastically.
"Me either! Not even Shae or Mkhai can last that long against me anymore. It's usually over by round two!" Imhotep stated excitedly.
"Kat plays?" Yugi puzzled.
"Well, yeah. Who do you think got me into gaming? Mkhai is more into RPG's, but Shae introduced me to everything else. I still remember the day she brought home an NES for me." Imhotep smiled fondly at the memory. "She had to have Mkhai show her how to set up the inputs. Then she sat down beside me and handed me the first player controller. Whenever we played together, she was always player two. Didn't matter what console either. When she brought home my first fighting game, she let me win. Eventually she didn't have to of course." He sighed, appearing sad. "We used to play games together all the time, but the past few years she just drops a new game on the foot of my bed and walks away. Mkhai convinced her to join us in online gaming, and at first it was like when I was younger. She was almost always on...but the past few months its been a struggle to even get her to logg on for at least raid nights."
"No wonder you love video games so much," Yugi commented.
"Yeah...so what?" Imhotep replied dejectedly. "I think I want to go home."
"O-oh...okay…" Yugi didn't know what to say or do to make his twin feel better. It was obvious Imhotep was still struggling with being around others...including Yugi, and that he was struggling with certain topics that kept coming up.
"Sorry. I know you guys are trying to help me, but I just feel like being alone. Maybe I wasn't meant to be around others."
"Don't say that," Yugi tried to reassure. "You're just not used to it yet. Maybe if you were with Mkhai or Kat it wouldn't be so hard since you're used to being around them more."
"Mkhai doesn't really go out. He prefers his computer screens. And Shae," Imhotep sighed. "She would probably think coming here is a waste of time now that she's got her new boyfriend to hang around with," he stated bitterly.
"I don't think so. Her and Marik were here just the other day. She seemed to be having fun."
Imhotep perked up a bit. "You sure?"
Yugi nodded. "Mhmm. She drug him off towards the rhythm games and they didn't reappear until a little while later."
"Rhythm games?"
"You know...Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, stuff like that."
"Games for music and dancing? Yup. That sounds very much like something Shae would be into," Imhotep stated dryly.
"We can try a few if you want?" Yugi suggested.
Imhotep contemplated.
"I'm not very good at them, but Téa is one of the best when it comes to dancing games," Yugi added.
Téa blushed at the compliment. "I'm not that good."
"Téa, you beat Johnny Steps, remember?" Yugi stated in a reminder.
"Well...i-it wasn't that big of a deal…" Téa said quietly, embarrassed that Yugi actually remembered what happened on her date with Atem, who hadn't known who he was at the time...or that he was even married.
"Um...why is she so embarrassed about being good at a game?" Imhotep puzzled.
"I'm not embarrassed about being good at a game, Imhotep," Téa replied. "...its just remembering who I was with at the time…" she added quietly.
Yugi paled, remembering that it was him that had suggested Téa and Atem, who went by Yami at the time, go on a date together.
"Oh! You mean the date, right?" Imhotep said loudly.
Yugi covered his face with his palm. "The word 'subtle' isn't in your vocabulary, is it?"
"Subtle? What's there to be subtle about? She and the old man went on a date. So what. It was obvious she wasn't really interested. If I thought there was something to worry over, I would have interfered with restoring his memories a hell of a lot sooner," Imhotep stated earnestly.
"You really don't like your parents seeing other people, do you?" Joey questioned.
Imhotep appeared to pout. "No, I don't. Is there something wrong with hoping they can work past all the bullshit that happened before and maybe start over? They could at least try for mine and Yugi's sake," he said bitterly.
Joey shook his head. "Take it from someone who's been there: It's not worth it. Sometimes people realize dat the person they thought was right for them, isn't. And sometimes the problem is one or both of those people change. Sometimes the problem was there all along, but both people tried ta look past it until something came along and they were forced ta face the problem head on. No matter what, it's not up ta you what happens between two other people, even if they are your parents. Only they can decide if they want ta try working things out. Interfering will only cause more problems."
Imhotep grit his teeth, his fists at his sides. "And what would you know about any of that?! I highly doubt your mother spent millennia trying to bring back someone that she claimed to care so much about! Why would she go through all that trouble just to throw everything away for some pretty face?!"
Yugi, Tristan, and Téa all took a step back away from Imhotep and Joey, especially after seeing the expression on Joey's face.
Joey grabbed the scowling Imhotep by the neck of his shirt, lifting him up on his tiptoes. "Listen here! You think you're the only one dat has gone through their parents splitting up?! Well guess what 'pal', you're not! My mom fought and fought ta help my dad quit his drinking because she cared fer him, but one day she had enough! Dat's when she realized she was better off without him. My dad promised time and time again dat he was done, and even throughout the divorce promised it. He made da attempt ta quit, but in the end da booze was more important. Now I'm not certain what happened between Kat and da Pharaoh, but I'm sure dat she didn't make the decision ta end things without giving it a lot of thought. As far as her dating Marik, dat's on her. As long as he isn't doin' anything ta hurt her, you should be happy for her." Joey took a deep breath, having got his frustration out, then dropped the bronzed teen.
Imhotep grit his teeth again. "It's not fair! It's not….it's not fair…"
"Toughen up princess. Nothing in life is fair." Joey stated, still irritated with Imhotep's attitude.
"She should care about what we want!….about what I want…" Imhotep's head fell. "I don't get it? She used to tell me that I was special. That if I wanted something badly enough that all I had to do was go out and make it happen...but whenever I try to do just that…" a single tear rolled down his cheek. "...whenever I tried….she would get mad. I just want things to go back to the way they were...but I want everyone to be there."
"Sometimes things don't go da way we want them to. Dat's just part of life. It sucks, but all you can do is just keep moving forward. Even if it means having ta suck it up and deal with da things we don't like."
"So you're saying I should just butt out and be okay with it?"
"Pretty much. Listen, I'm not saying you gotta go liking Marik or anything, but maybe for your mom's sake, try ta somewhat get along with him. Same with da Pharaoh. If he starts seeing someone new, you don't necessarily gotta like whoever it is, just don't go givin' either of them a hard time."
Imhotep's face fell, recalling the scene he'd unintentionally walked into the night before. "Can I at least try to avoid that person until I can stomach looking at them without conjuring up disturbing images in my head?"
Joey appeared a bit confused. "Uh, yeah. It kinda makes sense if you saw somethin' dat you weren't supposed to see dat you would want to avoid them. Wait...has the Pharaoh already found himself someone new? Dat was quick."
"I wouldn't say 'found someone new'. More like 'had a drunken romp with'," Imhotep replied dryly.
"I don't wanna know." Joey stated unenthusiastically.
"I don't think I do either," Yugi added with just as little enthusiasm.
"Good, because I really don't want to talk about it." Imhotep stated.
"So...now that the emotional crisis has passed, have you guys decided what we're doing next?" Téa questioned, trying to transition back to a more cheery atmosphere.
Imhotep smiled slightly while looking at Téa. "I wouldn't mind trying out one of those dancing games. I haven't played many. Those are more Shae's thing. Maybe you can show me how bad I am at them," he chuckled lightly.
Téa smiled, glad to see Imhotep was in a better disposition. "Sure thing, follow me!"
"Hey, you're not half-bad!" Téa stated cheerily towards Imhotep as they both stepped down from the dance pad.
"Well…I think my reflexes kind of give me an unfair advantage," Imhotep said with a sheepish smile.
"Well, they didn't give you too much of an advantage. I still did better than you."
"That's because I was trying to focus on not using them. It's harder than Shae let on. No wonder she incorporated it into my regular training...which I have been ignoring these past few weeks."
"Your reflexes can't be that good that you have to focus on slowing them down," Tristan stated doubtfully.
Imhotep looked at the doubtful brunette with a bored expression, about to reply to the statement when he heard the intro of a familiar tune followed by what sounded like two people arguing loudly. He leaned to look around Tristan, spotting two guys making angry gestures while holding a guitar shaped controller.
"I'm telling you, there's no way that little girl scored 100 that easily! She must have input some kind of cheat or somethin!" a twenty-something guy said bitterly.
"Dude, you were there! And you watched the videos posted online! Come off it already!" said the other in irritation.
Imhotep walked over to investigate. "Um, excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing that someone scored 100 on this song. They didn't happen to be about my height with mid-back length, wavy black hair?"
"Yeah, why? You know that tiny bitch?" the first guy questioned, looking down on the dark teen.
Imhotep glanced up at the screen. "Through the Fire and Flames' by DragonForce, right?" he asked, ignoring the older guy's question.
"Yeah. The song is virtually impossible to beat, but that tiny bitch somehow scored 100 across the board. I know she cheated somehow. Don't know if there's a code hack or what, but there's no other way she could have gotten a score like that."
"Mind if I give it a try?" Imhotep asked, holding his hand out for the controller.
The older guy scoffed, then handed over the guitar. "Good luck. No one makes it past the 30 second mark."
Imhotep positioned the controller, then selected the song. He stared boredly as the notes flew down the screen, hitting every one without a miss. The older guy watched in disbelief as the spiky-haired teen appeared to play the song without putting in a great deal of focus. Once the song had finished, Imhotep casually handed back the guitar, stretching and yawning to give emphasis on how 'easy' the song had been.
"I don't see what the big deal is. That was a piece of cake," Imhotep stated boredly as he walked back towards Yugi and the others with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He smirked once his face was no longer visible to the two older guys.
"That's it! I officially hate this game!" the twenty-something guy shouted while storming off, his buddy following close behind.
Imhotep glanced up towards Tristan, the smirk still on his face. "So, you still think my reflexes aren't that good that I have to intentionally slow down?"
Tristan's face fell. "I see your point."
"I never really had much of a real-world application for it before, so I usually don't put a lot of effort into actually learning how to slow down. If anything I focus on getting faster. I still have a hard time keeping up with Shae in that aspect." Imhotep stated casually.
"Man, being immortal is weird." Joey stated. "It's like you're somehow better at everything, but you have ta work hard ta keep it hidden."
"Pretty much. And unfortunately while I was taught how, I've never really had a reason to before."
"Luckily you got us in your corner, so if you accidentally let slip that you're a bit 'extra', we'll be there ta cover for ya." Joey said in reassurance.
Imhotep cast his gaze downward. "Thanks. I mean it. And I'm sorry about a bit ago when I yelled...and for everything else. I'm pretty sure I've been a real pain-in-the-ass. I know I tend to speak and act without thinking about anyone other than myself."
"Eh, don't worry 'bout it. You apologized. Dat's good enough for me. I get it too. I was kinda the same way during my parent's divorce. And after. Ask Yug, I used ta be a big bully until he came along," Joey stated, dismissing Imhotep's earlier attitude.
Yugi nodded. "It's true. It wasn't until after I stood up for Joey and Tristan that we ended up becoming friends."
"Which at the time was da weirdest thing for me. I had thrown a piece of da Puzzle in a pool earlier that very same day. I couldn't comprehend at da time why someone would go outta their way and get da snot beat outta them after what I did. I knew I could be a bit of a jerk, but I always brushed it off like it was no big deal. After that day, I worked hard to change that part of myself. I realized I didn't wanna be the guy everyone curled their nose up at when he walked down the hall. I wanted ta be the guy dat his friends could count on ta be there in a pinch," Joey said, feeling proud at how much he had changed since then.
Imhotep looked at Joey and the others in wonder. This whole friendship thing was a lot more complicated than he had thought. Apparently it involved more than just hanging out with people that shared a common interest. It was kind of like having real-life guild-mates. You supported each other during 'battles', whether those battles were virtual, real life, or even the unseen emotional. You helped each other get better by having patience when someone made a mistake. So what if the group 'wiped'. The group didn't just 'disband' and give up, they helped figure out how to improve together and tried again.
"I think I understand things a bit better now," he stated earnestly. "Thanks for being patient and putting up with me. From here on out I'll try not to be, as Shae puts it, an 'impertinent brat'."
Joey leaned in, looking serious. "I'm gonna hold ya to dat statement. Don't want ta have ta start not likin ya."
Imhotep paled and swallowed hard. "R-right…" He had always viewed Joey from within Yugi's shadow as nothing more than a goofball, but now he found him somewhat intimidating. He glanced around nervously, then spotted something that piqued his interest. "What's that?"
Joey and the others looked in the direction he had indicated.
"Hmm...looks like one of those new VR games. I think that particular one is similar to the guitar game you just played, but instead of an instrument you have a pair of sword-like controllers that you have to 'slice' the notes with," Yugi replied.
"Swords and VR? Oh, I gotta try this one," Imhotep stated with a broad grin.
Yep, those two jerks showed up again lol.
So while I don't play Beat Saber (because it gives me vertigo), I really like watching some of the videos on YouTube. My two favorite channels to watch are Artemisblue and omotea.